From Symbol to (Some) Substance: Costa Rica’s Carbon Neutral Pledge

In 2007, Costa Rican politicians announced that the country would be carbon neutral by 2021. This paper investigates whether this pledge has moved beyond a symbolic commitment and, if so, how. Data consist of interviews conducted with officials in Costa Rica’s industry, government, science, and civil society as well as archival research. The findings show that carbon emissions declined after the pledge, but the effects of the great recession mean these declines cannot be directly attributed to the pledge. However, since 2007, there have also been numerous political changes that may contribute to future emissions reductions. Future research on symbolic politics would benefit from investigating how political acts can change from symbolic to more substantive over time as social groups grapple with how to act to fulfill the stated aims. This case study provides an important historical analog for understanding the aftermath of other nations’ pledges made at the 2015 global climate meeting.